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Lady Antebellum Crafts 'Arena Hoedown' With Help of Rihanna Hit-Makers

Lady Antebellum speak onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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Lady Antebellum went way outside the box for the country trio's latest single, "Compass," an infectious burst of banjo pop written by Stargate, the Norwegian hit-makers behind Katy Perry's "Firework," Rihanna's "Diamonds" and scores of other top-40 earworms.

Lead singer Charles Kelley told Billboard on the American Music Awards red carpet that the track shows the versatility of Stargate -- Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen -- and that the pairing represents a first for the group.

"It was kind of different for us, we've never reached outside of Nashville to find a song," said Kelley. "The minute we heard it we knew we could countrify it up a bit. We wanted to make a big arena-feeling song but still very country and organic. We feel like we've made an arena hoedown with it."

Never Be Alone

"Compass" hit radio in October and currently sits at No. 22 on Billboard's Country Radio Airplay chart. It hails from the deluxe edition re-issue of their fourth studio album, "Golden," which topped the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums chart in early May.

Lady A added to an awards trove that already includes seven Grammys and six CMAs on Sunday, winning favorite country band at the AMAs.

The group is heading out on tour in January, with Kacey Musgraves and Kip Moore supporting. "It's gonna be high energy," said Hillary Scott, who welcomed a daughter, Eisele, in July. "If we've learned anything from going to concerts it is all about the tempo and keeping the energy up and making those big moments as big as you can, and the small, intimate moments as intimate as you can."